The personal blog of Reyn Bowman, a Durham NC resident, 40-year veteran of community-destination marketing and still an explorer in community sense-of-place. Opinions expressed here are those of the author.

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Heart and Soul of Sense of Place

I’m very intimate with a part of what still makes North Carolina very special. There is nothing like experiencing the the back roads that begin just few minutes from my house, especially astride a Harley-Davidson Cross Bones.

To lose this part of our state’s character, stretching across its heart from Durham to Charlotte would be to lose its soul.

Celebrating its 18th year at an annual gathering next week in Star, North Carolina, a tiny town famed as the exact geographic center of the state, Central Park NC is a valiant economic-development-driven effort to preserve the natural, cultural and small town character of North Carolina through small-business development including tourism.

Star is midway between Durham and Charlotte and a good reason to take the 150 miles of back roads in either direction on any future trip and use the legend on the right to populate the map at this link to identify places to stop and enjoy some of the unique features along the way. You’ll be helping to preserve a part of North Carolina’s unique sense of place.

The journey will also renew the senses and restore an awareness and humility about our role as stewards for this incredible state and, will hopefully revive in each of us a renewed determination to clean up the blight and pollution our arrogance has caused.